The Ultimate Christmas Gift: Trust in the Divine

Well, it's almost Christmas and one of the things you will hear everybody in your family, your friends, neighbors and other people in your life, you'll hear them saying, the one thing I want for Christmas is. You'll also hear parents saying to their children, what's the one thing you want for Christmas? Or what is the big gift you're looking for this year? Well, are you aware that God has one thing that he's looking for that he wants from you for Christmas? Yep, that's right. There's a Christmas present that you can give God and on this podcast, I'm going to tell you all about it. Welcome to becoming wiser with Dr. Robert A Rome author and world renowned public speaker. As he shares stories involving his experiences and lessons learned in a good spirited, positive and fun way. Here's Dr. Robert A. Rohm. Hi, I'm Dr. Robert Rohm and it is Christmas time. One of my favorite times of the years. The reason for the season is the fact we celebrate the birth of Christ. And most of you know that I am a believer. I don't wear it on my sleeve. I don't condemn anyone for whatever they want to believe. I would fight for your right to believe anything you want to. However, I would also do all that I could to encourage you to believe what is right, what is true, what is correct. The Bible teaches that God loves us and he has a plan for our life. But there's also some things that are sort of peculiar to God. You know, people want financial freedom, they want a good looking husband or a good looking wife, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, a lot of money, success and 101 other things. But God is just basically focused on one thing. Let me tell you a story and I'll share with you how you can give God the best Christmas gift that you could ever give him that will make his heart glad. The story, if you have a Bible, you might want to follow along. It's in the Gospel of Luke. That's in the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Those are the four gospels. Turn to the very first chapter, the very first chapter of Luke. We see that something is taking place. There is an elderly gentleman by the name of Zachariah. And Zachariah is married to Elizabeth. And they have gotten up in their senior years, way past the years of having children and they sort of are just living out their life. But it happens that Zachariah was a priest and he would go into the temple and he was an Israeli priest and he would go into the temple and he would Offer up incense or prayers to God. Well in Luke chapter one, verse five, it says in the time of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zachariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children because Elizabeth was barren. And they were both well along in years. Well, I'm 74, so I kind of know what that means, that you're well along in years. That means you have some life under your belt. Well, it says once when Zacharias division was on duty and he was serving his priest before God, he was chosen by lot. That means they took turns and according to the custom of the priesthood to go into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. It was a symbolic way of offering up prayers. It was a outward gesture of God. We are lifting up our hearts towards you. And when the time of the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Verse 11. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zacharias saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear. Well, I guess so. I understand angels are pretty awesome beings. And Zechariah runs into one in the temple and he's scared to death. But the angel said unto him, do not be afraid Zachariah, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you're to give him the name John. We will know later that this becomes John the Baptist or John the Baptizer. He will be a joy and delight to you and many will rejoice because of his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He he is never to take wine or other fermented drink. And he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. That means the Holy Spirit will be guiding his life, will be controlling his life, his every move and decision. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go before the Lord in the spirit of empower of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children. Don't miss it. And the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. In other words, he's going to establish relationships. He's going to turn fathers hearts towards their children. And those who have been disobedient wandered off the path to come back to get on the right path and to make ready a people, because Jesus would soon be arriving on the scene as a cousin of John in a few years.

Now watch carefully. Here's what our whole podcast is about. Zachariah asked the angel, how can I be sure of this? I'm an old man and my wife is well along in years. The angel answered, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and I have been sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and you will not be able to speak until the day this happens, because here it comes because you did not believe my words, which will come to come true at their proper time. Wow, Zachariah got a double dose of angel power here. The angel says, well, he didn't tell him to shut up. He told him he was going to be made to shut up. He will not be able to talk until this child is born. Well, meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zachariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he'd seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them. Evidently he was making signs like pointing to his mouth and shaking his head, but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant for five months, remained in seclusion. The Lord has done this for me, she said, in these days, he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people. So here the fulfillment of what Zachariah was told by Gabriel in the temple, that Zachariah and his wife Elizabeth would have a child. Now, so far we get the picture. The angel shows up, tells Zachariah, you and your wife are going to have a baby. Zachariah says, I don't understand that. I'm kind of old, I'm up in years. I don't know how that's going to happen. And basically, and most of you know, I'm a high type personality, so I like to kind of flamboyant and glamorize these stories. Basically, Gabriel with nuts. Gabriel just chewed him out. What are you talking about, man? I stand in God's presence. He sent me to talk to you and you doubt what I say? Well, your mouth is going to be closed, your lips will be shut, and you will not be able to speak again till that child is born. Don't mess with me, man. Well, I. Every time I read that story, I think, what would I have done? What would I have said? I know one Thing's for sure, I'd have been scared because these angels, and they are fearful looking creatures. Well, let's keep going because I'm trying to work up to give you what I think is the greatest Christmas present you could give God. Now, in a minute, God's already given us a great present. Of course we know that's his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who came, was born, lived a sinless life, died and arose again, so. So our faith and trust can be in him for salvation. But there's something that he wants you to give him. He's given us many gifts, but there's something special. So let's find out what it is. Verse 26. I am still in the first chapter of Luke and I'm reading in the NIV. That's the new international version. In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph. We know her. She's a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. Mary and Joseph were engaged, but Mary was pure. She was not yet married and not yet having a physical relationship with a man. The angel went to her. She may have been outside, she probably was by herself. But all of a sudden this angel comes up. In verse 28, Gabriel says, Greetings you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be in the Bible. Great. It just Mary standing there. See if I'd written the Bible out and said. And immediately Mary knew it was the angel of the Lord. And she said, welcome. So what happened? She was scared to death. She said, what? Do what now? But the angel said to her, do not be afraid. Every time you read about angels in the Bible they keep saying, do not be afraid. They must be fearful looking creatures. The angel said, don't be afraid, mirror. You have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son. And you're to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his Father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end. Don't miss that. That is a kingdom that is coming one day. Remember in the Lord's Prayer, thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. Well, his kingdom will be set up one day. So verse 34. Well, how will this be? Mary asks the angel, since I'm a virgin. Oh my gosh. I brace myself when I'm thinking, now Mary's doing it. Now Mary is saying to Gabriel, well, how's this going to work out? I mean, I've never had physical relations with the man, and I'm still single. And how's this going to work out? Watch. Verse 35. The angel answered, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a child in her old age. And she who is said to be barren is in her sixth month. Your cousin Elizabeth's already six months pregnant. Here, verse 17. For nothing is impossible with God. I am the Lord's servant. Mary answered, may it be to me as you have said. Then the angel left her. Now, wait a minute. But I remember, first time I began to read this, I'm thinking Zachariah got slapped down for asking, how is this all going to work out? And Mary got a whole lot of answers and she got blessed and the angel left. And I read that and read that and read that, trying to figure out why did one face such wrath from Gabriel in Mary, such a blessing in one night. As I was reading it, I saw it. It was as clear as the nose on my face. Zachariah answered, gabriel in unbelief. How can this be? I don't know how this is going to work out. That doesn't make any sense to me. There must have been some kind of tone in his voice to communicate to Gabriel. I don't believe what you're saying. But Mary was a shed, a different tone. Mary said, well, now I'm not sure I understand that. I mean, I. I don't know how that could even be possible. But the tone in her voice, are you listening? Was one of faith. It was one of belief. It was one of trust. How do I know that? Verse 38, Again, I am the Lord's servant. Mary answered, may it me, may it be to me as you have said. Then the angel left her. You see, Mary gave God the very best Christmas present he could have ever received. And Mary gave it. It is true. Mary gave it to Gabriel. Mary told Gabriel, I have faith. I believe what you're telling me is true. Friends, that is what God wants you to give him this Christmas. What is that? It's your faith, it's your trust, it's your belief. He wants you to have an attitude towards him, like Mary. God, I can't figure you out. God, I don't understand everything. I Don't know how everything works. I'm just a human being. How am I supposed to understand how we're on a big ball of dirt traveling at 167,000 miles an hour in the middle of nowhere with gravity holding us all up? And there's a sun and a moon and planets and on and on and on. Nobody understands all that. People can try their best to explain it, but nobody really believes fully understands the fact that God knows what he's doing and he's smarter than all of us. So he doesn't ask you to throw your brains away, and he doesn't ask you to blindly believe in Him. But he says, look at the evidence, man. If an angel came to me and said, God sent me, and here's what he wants you to do. He wants you to believe what I'm telling you. He wants you to trust in him and have faith that he will be your savior. Well, that's it. That's the Christmas present. I know. I've given that to God. I've said to God, and if you've never done this, this is a simple way you can say it. God, I do believe in Jesus. I do believe he came for me. He lived a life that was sinless, and then he died to pay for my sins. He didn't have any that he had to pay for, but he died in my place. And then he arose from the dead. And I put my faith in trust in him to be my savior. God, my Christmas present to you is I give you my faith, my trust, my belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you do that, God will smile down upon you and bless your life and guide you, because you will now be in a new relationship, and the relationship will be with Almighty God simply as an act of your faith and trust in Him. I pray this year you'll have the best Christmas you've ever had. I trust that Christmas morning you'll wake up and you'll say, God, I give you my faith. I trust in you for salvation. That is the greatest Christmas gift you could ever give God. I'm Dr. Robert Rome. I hope this has been a blessing to you. I look forward to our next time together. God bless you and Merry Christmas. For more information about this podcast, please visit www.becomingwiserpodcast.com.